Folding box



June 18, 1929.

E. PRATI FOLDING Box Filed March 28, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 if 06o IN V EN TOR.

v fg/rio pra/f: B Y A TTOR NE YS.

June 18, 1929. E. PRATI 1,717,733

FOLDING BOX Lgls\\\\\\ A TTORNE YS.

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Patented June 18, 1929. 'Y

UNITED STATES ENRICO PRATI, 0F ASTI, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING BOX. r

Application med March 28,1928.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application filed under Serial No. 257,836 on February-29, 1928.

This invention relates to boxes for shipping fruit or other food materials, and has for its objects a foldable construction by which the boxes may be transported in knockdown condition to the fruit shipper and easily set up for use, and if desired knocked down again after use, for transportation and reuse again a great many times.

Also such a box construction which, While it may be made of any material, will provide for combining the cheapness of cardboard Vwith rigidity of wood so as to produce a cheap light box of great strength which will stand the rough treatment of transcontinental shipping. i

Other objects and features of will appear in the drawings, to follow.

In .the drawings Figs. 1 to 8 show my preferred construction and Figs. 9 to 16 show an optional construction, both constructions Y here shown being combinations of wood and cardboard.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the body of the box in fiat or unfolded condition. Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views of the wooden end strips or rails. Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the box al1 set up and complete with its end strips nailed in placeand with one of the strips and the cover partially broken away to show the vadvantage and description underlying structure.

1g. 6 isa cross section of Fig. 5 as seen from the line 6 6 thereof, and showing in dotted lines the' cover as about to be sprung into place.

Fig.- 7 is a other flexible cover of the box.

ig. 8 is a perspective View of the ybox complete with cover, but with the box of a speciall shape as used for asparagus shipments.

Fig. 9 is of optional construction. Figs. 10 and 11 are plan views of the .two sides of the box, and Figs. 12 and 13 are plan views of the Wooden strips or rails for the opposite upper edges of the box.v

Fig. 14 is a plan of the optional form ofa box all set up, without a. cover, and with oneof the edge rails broken away,

Fig. 15 is a cross section of Fig. 14 as seen from the line 154-15 thereof, and Fig. 16 is an enlarged section of a portion of the box forming a box p lan view of the cardboard or the ends 4 with vaplan view of the unfolded box serial No. 265,447.

of Fig. Mlas seen from the line 16-16 thereof.

Briefiy 'described my invention comprises i out of thin material such as cardboard by providing a flat-cutout blank which may' be folded into box form, and the blank provided with grooved strips of wood forming posts at the corners of the box adapted to-'enga'ge the margins as well, while providing through its. rails the feature of a lug-box for ease of handling. Grooves in the confronting edges of the top rails and a cover'sheet adapted to be sprung in place in e grooves, completes the box. A With reference to Fig. 1 the cut-out blank has a bottom panel l and .is scored or hinged at 2 to provide upwardly foldable side and end fiaps 3 4 which form the side walls of the box. The sides, and bottom may be perforated forventilationas at 5 if desired or left plain, an strips or blocks of wood 6 either glued, nailed, stapled, or'otherwise secured permanently to the side fiaps as shown, and the grooves 7 of the blocksare so positioned and the end aps 4`cut back of such a length, that upon folding all upwardly to the position of Fig. 5 the ends of the end flaps will fit within the grooves 7 as shown. i'

Attention is directed to the special notching of the body blank at the points A which prevents buckling of the material at the inner lower corners of the box and insures ease of assembly.

When the box is folded as described the end flaps 4 project above the side flaps 3 and the wooden .strips or rails 8 `are tte'd over grooves 9 engagincr the .upper projecting margins of the end Walls 4 as shown clearly in Fig. v6.

The upper strips or rails 8 are preferably of thesame width as the corner blocks Gand are preferably secured thereto bya`J nail at each end as at 10, though if desired glue may be applied tothe groove aswell,'but the ofthe end or side ico of cardboard groove of one rail and then bending the cover i the box oit into smaller compartments and outwardly in an arch form as indicated at .13 `in Fig. 6 to spring the opposite edge into the groove of the opposite rail, and a' reverse operation removes the cover. The cover is narrower than the box to provide ventilating slits 15 along'opposite edges.-

While the plate -13 forms a sliding cover it ordinarily could not be slid in or out of place as the box when filled with fruit, such as grapes, would be too full to permit sliding of the cover without injury to the fruit. When properly packed the cover plate arches upwardly on the fruit until about even with the upper surface of the rails 8, and gently presses the fruit-down so that it will-not shake about. l

In some cases it is desirable to partition I may therefore grooved pieces sides of the box,-

provide any number of extra,`

such. as the pieces 14 and into the grooves of which a suitable partition` plate may be slid.

' Note thatI preferably'bevel off tli'e corners of pieces 6 and 14 wherethe fruit comes in contact with them. i

When the box is all set up the overhanging rails afford a convenient place to. grip the box in handling or stacking for shipment, and

any number of boxes may be piled one'u-pon the other as the weight is then all taken directly upon the vertical blocks 6 at the ycorners.

The rails 8 are preferably of a length to extend somewhat beyond the sides of the box as shown so as to take side thrust inlshipment.

In carloadshipping of these boxes they are i l arranged in rows and tiers just as with the wooden boxes formerly used and require no special handlmg beingV substantially-as strong yet much lighter in weight.

A box made as above descrlbed need not necessarily be rectangular at all joints, as in some cases the box may be of tapering form as-shown in the perspective sketch Fig. 8

wherein the box members thus Jfar described are similarly designated. A box of the form shown in Fig. 8'is usedin shipping asparagus 5to the market. v

In the construction shown in Figs. 9 to-16 the same numerals usedon the construction above described are used on similar parts v except that prime marks are added. In this .construction however, the'nds il tened to the bottom panel as by nails,

areshown entirely loose, and the sides 3 only foldably connected to the bottom panel 1.

In this case two additional grooved strips 11 are employed andare' permanently fasand/or glue, and the cornerblocks 6 are cut back of wood secured to opposite vj a'cent panels when the box is set up, 'blank notched out adjacent the ends of said receive in their grooves 'at their lower ends so as to overliethe strips the lug type which may be quickly set up, and which by the driving of four nails is rigidly locked together on all sides.

I claim:

1. A box of the character described comprising a 1 rectangular cardboard bottom, cardboard side and end panels hingedly connected to the bottom so as to'fold upward to Y form the four vertical walls of the box,

grooved posts at cured tothe ends'of some of said'panels engaging intheir grooves the margins of the other panels, and tie strips extending along the corners ofthe box sethe upper edge of opposite of said panels nailed at their ends directly to said posts. l

\2. In a foldable box as specified in claim 1, grooved blocks secured to said panels at lpoints 'between said posts adapted for receivinga partition wall.-

" 3@ In a 'structure as specified inl claim 1 vsaid posts being positioned partly inside of the box and with the inner corners within the box beveled off.

4. A foldable box blank comprising a bottom sheet `of material provided with side and vend panels folda'blyconnected thereto so as to fold upward to form the yvertical-walls of the lbox, grooved posts secured to the ends of opposite of said panels arrangedto ref ceive in vtheir grooves the endsof thev adand said panels where they connect to the bottom sheet, so as to grooves of the posts. y

5. A foldable -box comprising a bottom .sheet of cardboard 'provided with 'side'and facilitate inserting the panels in the end panels foldably connected thereto so as.

to fold upward to form the vertical walls of the box, grooved wooden posts ends of opposite of said panels arranged to the ends of the adjacent panels when the box is set up, and upper wooden rails for said box adapted to overlie the upper edges of opposite of said panels and to be secured at their ends to said posts. l

6.- In a structure as specified in claim 5 said rails being grooved in their undersides and engaging in their grooves the upper margins of the panels which they overlie. 7. In a box as specified in claim 5, said rails'extending outward beyond said panels to afford ripping edges and the rails extendinglengt wise beyond the sides of the box when set u i .p ENRICO PRATI.

secured to the 

